Monthly Archives: July 2015

Jul 03

What Displeases God?

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We often erroneously think that God only frowns at those things we consider to be great sins, like murder, adultery, theft, among others. These are indeed serious offences before the Lord. But just as He frowns at them, so He does towards our everyday habits, like murmuring and complaining.

 

The Israelites came to this realization the hard way. While journeying through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land, they began to complain about everything from the hardship in the course of the journey to their diet. God heard their murmuring and it displeased Him greatly.

“And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp” (Numbers 11:1).

Their rebellious conduct so made Him angry that His judgment descended on the Israelites. He set fire on the Israelites that were at the rear of the camp.

In horror at the instant and excruciating death that was sweeping through their camp, the Israelites pleaded with Moses to intervene. He did, as he prayed to the Lord for mercy. But no sooner did this end than the Israelites and those admirers that fled Egypt with them started complaining again about the manna which God has given them for food.

Suddenly, this heavenly food became unattractive when compared to their diets in Egypt. Instead, they wanted fish, cucumber, melon, leek, garlic which were their staples in Egypt. They spurned the food from heaven in favor of that cultivated by man!

They were not bothered that their complaining displeased God. And a new round of judgment lurked around the corner for them.

 

God does not tolerate complaints. It offends Him so much because your complaints show you no longer trust Him. More than that, it is a mark of rebellion and expresses doubt about the ability of God to fulfill His promises.

Rather than complain when you face hard times, you should call on the Lord for mercy.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Those who make light of God’s beneficence, incur His wrath.

 

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Jul 02

Christ Supplies All Needs

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A global increase in population, especially in developing nations with rising prices of goods, is a serious threat to survival. Severe drought in numerous nations of Africa has made many families to go hungry or at least compromised their diets. In the midst of hunger and scarcity, God has always provided for those who trust in His ability to change difficult situations and provide their needs.

 

“So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets” (Mark 8:8).

MARK 8:5-9 focuses on the compassionate nature of Christ to always find enduring solution to the plight of those who come to Him. The preceding chapter captures different categories of people with diverse ailments and challenges who were healed and delivered.

They were astonished beyond measure, “saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak” (Mark 7:37). Christ provided food for the hungry and fainting people, to support them and to sustain the spiritual blessings they had received.

Sometimes, we ignore the physical needs of others in pursuit of the spiritual alone. Yet, the two are necessary. Although the multitude did not complain or tell Jesus of their hunger, He nevertheless, recognized the need and supplied food. Sometimes, we are too slow to recognize people’s needs, and even when we do, nothing is done about it.

 

Are there hungry people in your local church? You may not be able to heal the sick but you can provide something for somebody in your local assembly. Identify a needy person today, and allow the compassion of God to move you to meet their needs and lighten their burden. On that score, you will be a true follower of Christ.

 

God cares for every minute detail of our lives. He is not too busy with important matters alone; He is also interested in every minor or major areas of our lives.

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you“ (1 Peter 5:17).

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Christ will supply all your needs, if you trust Him.

 

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Jul 01

Grace, Not A license To Sin

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As Christians, we do rejoice that we are not under the dispensation of the laws of the Old Testament with so many of its “dos” and “don’ts”. We relish so much the grace of God that does not condition our salvation on the works of our hands and the sacrifices we have to bring but on Christ’s final and eternal sacrifice.

However, there is a point in which many Christians err in their understanding of the grace of God in relation to the moral obligations commanded in the Old Testament. They misinterpret the grace of God to mean having unrestrained liberty to do whatever they wish.

 

Some declare that Christ’s sacrifice has taken care of the sins they ever committed or would ever commit. They brand those who seek to live straight and keep the moral laws as being unduly legalistic, fanatical and under bondage. This is an abuse of grace!

“Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 18:30).

 

Grace does not take from us our moral obligations. The moral ordinances contained in the passage of our meditation this morning are as binding on us today as they were binding on all the people in the Old Testament dispensation. Disobedience to these laws carries the same weight of judgment today as it did in the Old Testament.

Neither law nor grace can protect from judgment in such cases. It is folly to place one’s hope in a grace that will excuse sin and allow one to do the very thing forbidden to be done under the terms of grace as revealed in God’s word.

Real grace brings along with it the divine enablement to obey God’s word and live right.

Keeping God’s word is revealed as the secret of blessing both in the Old and New Testaments. God’s words are to keep us from committing these abominable practices and thereby defiling ourselves. Living contrary to the word of God on the excuse of grace is an abuse of God’s grace and therefore subject to God’s judgement.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Grace does not take from us our moral duties.

 

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